Choosing A Conveyancer
The right conveyancing solicitor saves you weeks of delay and thousands of pounds. Here is what to look for, in plain English.
1. Check they are on your lender panel
This is the single most important step. If your conveyancer is not on your mortgage lender's approved panel, the lender will need to instruct a separate firm at your cost. This typically adds two to four weeks to the timeline and several hundred pounds to the bill.
Every firm on LenderPanel is shown alongside the lender panels they are approved for. Use the search at the top of any page to filter by lender.
2. Ask for a fixed-fee quote
A reputable conveyancer will give you a written quote that includes all foreseeable disbursements (searches, Land Registry fees, etc.). If the quote is "from £X" without itemised costs, ask for the full breakdown.
3. Check their SRA regulation
All solicitors in England and Wales are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). You can verify any firm by their SRA ID. Licensed conveyancers are regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC).
4. Match them to your timeline
A typical purchase takes 8 to 16 weeks. Ask what their current caseload looks like and how quickly they typically respond to enquiries. A firm that takes three days to reply to your initial email is unlikely to suddenly become urgent later.